Gone
by theorangestar
Summary: Opal doesn't make it through the battle with the Colossus, and Bolin shatters. Based on a tumblr ask. Canon divergent. Character death.
Based on another tumblr ask where Bolin reacts to Opal dying in battle. **Warning: Character Death.**

* * *

 _"Opal!"_ Bolin called as he and Lin raced to where the air benders had been shot from the sky. His heart pounded against his ribcage. _Please be okay, Opal! Please, please, please!_

Airbenders lay strewn across the street like a bunch of rag dolls. Most were pulling themselves up; Mako, Korra, and the twins were helping up those who couldn't stand. Desperately scanning the scene, he zeroed in on a familiar body lying on the concrete.

 _"OPAL!"_ He dashed across the street and slid next to her on his knees. Gently, he turned her over in his lap, but her name died on his lips. There was _so much blood_ , on the side of her face, dripping from her nose and mouth. Her eyes… they had once glittered like jewels in the sunlight, but now they were dull and lifeless. He held her close and put his ear to her chest, listening for a heartbeat, just one little heartbeat.

Nothing.

The world grew cold around him; the air was suffocating. He didn't feel the tears now streaming down his face. He didn't hear the choked sob from Lin behind him, or Korra calling everyone to retreat. He didn't hear the sound of the spirit gun starting up again, and he didn't feel Lin force him to his feet and drag him after the others down a nearby alley, or the quaking of the earth as the beam struck the ground where they had previously been standing. All that Bolin could focus on was Opal's limp body in his arms, feeling her warmth and color slowly fade from her cheeks.

It was only the twins' combined screams of horror that brought him back. Opal was yanked from his grip by her aunt, but he felt too weak to resist, only clutching her hand. Lin collapsed at his feet mumbling as her fingers combed through Opal's hair. Wing and Wei were next to them in a second, calling for their sister to wake up. They clasped each other's arms like they'd be blown away with a single gust. The other air benders were trying to move everyone towards Future Industries Tower, but they made sure to give the grieving family space. Ikki, Meelo, and Jinora looked on horrified as Tenzin tried to shield them from view.

Someone—Bolin didn't know who, he was too far out of it—had grasped his shoulders and was saying something in his ear. He didn't listen. The twins' sobs and the echo of the spirit cannon were all that filled his head. His mouth flapped uselessly; he wanted to say something, anything, just to make Opal wake up, but no sound came. He knew. He knew that no matter how many times he said "I love you," no matter how often he'd whisper it in the dead of night or shout it up to the skies, Opal would never reply. Her hand was cold now, and it slipped from his fingers.

He snapped.

Wrenching from the grip on his shoulder, Bolin spun around and dashed back towards the main road and the rumbling Colossus, the desperate calls of his name going ignored. He rounded the corner and whipped his arms up, the street ripping behind him in molten ribbons. The metal monstrosity towered over him, so tall he couldn't see Kuvira commanding the suit behind those large windows at the top. _Why? Why did she do this?_ Did she think so little about the people that she was hurting? Did she know what she had done to sweet Opal? Would she even care? After all these years, telling him that he was helping the Earth Kingdom, making it safe for his family, making it safe for Opal, telling him the airbender would be so proud of him when they met up again… What good was all that now?

A pillar of earth shot him into the air, and with as much raw power and rage as he could muster, he slammed his fists into the ground, the cement beneath buckling in a huge wave of lava. The street became a molten river; store fronts and apartments melted and joined the onslaught. When he did this before, he contained the lava to an intersection to keep damage to a minimum. Not this time. This time everything was going. This suit had to fall, he would make sure of it. He swung his clenched hands skyward, letting out an unbridled roar of fury. The lava followed his command, shooting into the air and splashing up the legs of the Colossus, trying to swallow as much metal as it could.

 _Hotter!_ _ **Hotter!**_ Bolin poured as much of himself as he could into his bending, trying to make the lava as hot as possible. Unfortunately, it was soon evident that he couldn't make it hot enough to melt the platinum hide of the giant mech. However, the ground wasn't stable enough anymore to keep the suit upright. The Colossus tried to back down the street, but Bolin and his lava followed. The suit smacked into buildings and stumbled over crushed Satomobiles, but Bolin didn't let up. He kept pushing and pushing. The lava under his feet cooled as he moved forward, while the rest just grew hotter. Sweat poured down his face and back, soaking his jacket. He redoubled his efforts, sweeping his arms up again, urging the lava to crawl up the suit towards the windows, towards that monster.

Finally, the suit seemed to find its footing and leaned against an apartment building. With a metallic groan, it lifted its arms and prepared to fire. Bolin just kept pushing. The street was too narrow to dodge another blast, and most of it lava now anyway. He could only move forward, molten rock eating away at everything in sight except that stupid platinum can. Even if it was with his last breath, he'd take it down. It _had_ to go down. The cannon started to hum and glow purple. Bolin knew this was it. With a deep bellow he thrust his arms forward, a huge wave rolling towards the Colossus. The splash rocked the mech suit, and the cannon fired.

 _ **THWACK!**_ Something collided with Bolin's side, throwing itself and him against a building. The air was knocked out of his lungs and his vision went black for a few seconds. The spirit beam struck the spot Bolin had just perviously occupied, and lava and dust sprayed everywhere. Wind whipped around Bolin and whatever was holding him, keeping the lava and debris at bay. As the dust and lava settled, the thing and Bolin leapt across the molten river and down the street to safety. They sped along on gusts of wind, and it was then that Bolin recognized the strong arm gripping his torso. He looked up at Korra, her eyes blinding white, as she used the Avatar State to get them away as fast as possible.

 _"Korra! Put me down! Let me go!"_ Bolin squirmed in the Avatar's grasp. _"I have to go back!"_

"Bolin, you're going to get yourself killed!" Korra called through the wind.

 _"So what!"_ Bolin screamed. _"Let me go!"_ His cries eventually dissolved into unintelligible screams as he thrashed, but she was as firm and unyielding as ever.

When Korra finally touched down behind a store where everyone else had regrouped, Bolin tore himself away and made to storm back to the street. She caught him by the wrist. "Bolin, please, we need to regroup! We've got to get to Future Industries—"

 _"Then go!"_ Bolin's choked cry rang through the air. _"I have to go back! I have to go!"_

A metal cable caught his leg. Lin's eyes were red and her face sunken. "Stop it, Kid. You won't be doing her any favors." Her voice cracked; she couldn't even say her niece's name.

 _ **"LET GO!"**_ The earth began to quake and steam under Bolin's feet as he slammed his boot down on the concrete, trying to loosen the cable.

Two strong familiar hands clasped his shoulders. Bolin spun around for another verbal assault only to meet Mako's amber eyes. Bolin let out a frustrated growl as he struggled against his brother, but the firebender held firm. "Please, Bolin, you've got to stop!"

 _"No!_ Let go! I can take her! I've got to fix this! I-I've got to… to…" Tears were streaming down Bolin's cheeks as his adrenaline left him aching. Mako just watched, eyes glistening with unshed tears of his own. Bolin recognized that look. It was the same soul-crushing gaze that Mako had before when he confirmed to his little brother that their parents were gone forever. In that moment, Bolin's heart crumbled all over again.

With a wail of sorrow, he collapsed into his brother's arms. Opal's name tumbled from his trembling lips over and over, his tears soaking Mako's jacket. Mako didn't flinch as he rubbed Bolin's back in comfort. The lavabender held on as if the world would disappear if he let go, and Mako just buried his face in Bolin's hair. There was nothing else he could do. Lin let go of Bolin's leg, and the siblings stumbled to the ground as Mako tried to pick up the pieces of his broken brother. Korra's shoulders trembled as she bit her lip; her heart was broken, and even running her finger's through Bolin's hair did nothing to ease their pain.

Bolin's memory got foggy after that. He wouldn't remember how exactly they all got to Future Industries Tower without being found. He wouldn't remember Asami hugging him with tears in her eyes, whispering ineffective words of comfort. He barely remembered Zhu Li squeezing his hand and Varrick wrapping an arm tightly around him; the businessman was for once rendered speechless. He definitely remembered the ear-piercing scream of Suyin when Lin brought Opal's body to her. No matter how hard he tried to tune it out, he constantly heard the metal matriarch begging her daughter to wake up to no avail. Baatar Jr.'s sobs of guilt and the angry shouts of the twins yelling at him, yelling at each other, at anyone, rang in Bolin's brain.

It was a little while later that they started their meeting for their next plan. Bolin avoided everyone's gaze and only nodded when spoken to. What energy he had left went to keeping himself from falling apart. Everyone else, except for Su, seemed to be able to compartmentalize their emotions, agreeing there would be time to grieve after the battle. Bolin didn't feel strong enough to hope.

The second Bolin found himself alone, he made his way to Asami's office where they were keeping Opal's body. She lay on Asami's desk gently covered with a white sheet. He didn't dare pull it back; he couldn't handle seeing her bloodied face again. Tentatively, he touched her hand through the sheet, but immediately pulled back. It was already stiff and ice cold. Bolin held his stomach and just managed not to vomit.

After a few gulps of air he looked back. "H-Hi, Opal." Tears were already blurring his vision. "I'm… I'm _so sorry_ , I…" His cheeks were wet and red as he tried to choke back a hiccup. "I… I miss you already." That's all he could get out before he broke down and fell to his knees, weeping into his hands. He spent what felt like hours on the floor in despair, long after his tears ran dry and his rattled breaths went silent. He just sat as still as a boulder. His mind was filled with the life that he would now never have with the only one he wanted to spend his future with.

After what felt like an eternity, a warm hand settled on his shoulder. Startled out of his gloom, Bolin let out a pitiful sniff and turned away. Mako gently pulled him to his feet and handed him a handkerchief. When Bolin didn't move to take it, Mako wiped away his tears. It didn't do much good—Bolin's face was a complete mess—but it was all that the firebender could do. Bolin didn't even flinch as the cloth rubbed his cheek. He felt cold, alone, and hollow, feelings so foreign to him they almost frightened him, if he cared enough to be frightened. With one last look at the sheet, the brothers left the office, Mako's arm never leaving the earthbender's shoulders.

Together they met back up with the rest of the team and prepared for their final attack. Together they would fight, and there would be more blood, sweat, and tears before the end. Even if they won, Bolin couldn't help but wonder if it was worth it anymore.

* * *

I am soooo sorry ! ;_; But thanks for reading anyway! Reviews are appreciated.


End file.
